/ 26 July 2007

Rain lashes Cape Peninsula

Rain driven by strong wind lashed the Cape Peninsula on Thursday, flooding more informal settlements on the Cape Flats.

Cape Town disaster management spokesperson Johan Minnie said that on Thursday afternoon the city was providing shelter, food and blankets to about 1 200 people.

Areas flooded in Thursday’s storms included parts of Philippi, Phola Park, Guguletu and Kosovo.

This was in addition to areas affected by rain earlier in the week, he said.

The South African Weather Service office at Cape Town International Airport said it had recorded winds gusting up to 80km/h during the day.

It said the cold front that brought the rain should be moving on during the afternoon, but a secondary front was expected on Thursday evening. — Sapa